Pride Marches in Moldova: The Case of Genderdoc

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Pride Marches in Moldova: The Case of Genderdoc

In 2005 the authorities in Chișinău, Moldova, banned a march planned by an LGBT organisation, to deliberately discourage the promotion of LGBT rights. In 2012 the European Court of Human Rights held that the ban was discriminatory and breached the right to peaceful assembly (art.11 ECHR).

The case of Genderdoc is an example of how NGOs - through engagement with national authorities and submissions to the Committee of Ministers - can ensure that proper information is provided in the implementation process, that monitoring continues while it is still needed, that adequate reforms can be adopted, and that a judgment can lead to rights in practice.

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Free speech groups strengthen the right to public protest

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Free speech groups strengthen the right to public protest

Hyde Park and Others v. Moldova

Free speech NGOs organised a series of protests in Chişinău. However, the authorities banned the events, giving reasons such as the fact that they disagreed with the point the protest was making. The European court ruled that the bans violated the right to free assembly. Following these cases, significant reforms were made to protect freedom of assembly in Moldova - such as new law which established much stronger protections for the right to hold public gatherings. Freedom of Assembly in Moldova is still being monitored by NGOs and the Council of Europe.

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